Get your job search started off on the right foot

Fall is here, and that means its time to get serious about your job search. Whether you are looking for an internship, a summer position or full-time employment, there are some key things to do and some to avoid.

Looking for an internship

If you want to quickly line up a fall internship, check with your school’s career services office for a list of employers who have hired students in prior years. Make sure you are signed up for your school’s job listing database. It’s called Symplicity at many schools.

Talk to professors, especially those in your preferred practice area. They are often tapped into the job market and sometimes have connections with those who hire interns.

Be aware that government agencies usually hire in advance, so it may be easier to get a last-minute internship in the private sector. If your school has a public-interest career specialist, ask if they know of any agencies still hiring.

Looking for a summer position

You may have already started interviewing during your school’s early interview week. If not, or if it hasn’t started, schedule a meeting with a career services counselor to update your resume and set up a mock interview.

You may need help adding the job that you finished last summer to your resume, and career counselors are very good at helping you highlight accomplishments while keeping your resume to one page. They also have good interview advice.

There’s nothing like getting tips before you interview to figure out what you should focus on. After all, those 20-minute interviews go by fast. Tempting as it may be to just read tips on a career website, nothing compares with in-person advice when it comes to preparing for something that will affect your future.

Hillary Mantis consults with law students, pre-law students, and lawyers. She is director of the pre-law program at Fordham University and author of “Alternative Careers for Lawyers.” You can reach her at altcareer@aol.com.